Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-04-24

/ repaired by setting 40 about ten feet OF
wire, and | was about to return, when II
struck me that, as it was only about III
o'clock, might as we'll continue on rs far
rs timber line to see if there Was another
break.
Sure enough, near timber line found a
place where the wire had broken, ana
slipped back on the insulators, put on
the pulleys, but could not bring the ends
together. even after being Spliced with the
ten feet of wire had with Inc. 1t lacked
about six feet of meeting.
In this dilemma | sat down on fiat rock
and meditated. | WAS about three miles
from the summit, aud about an equal dis
lance from the lake cabin below. There
were coils of wire ut both places. Should
/ return to the summit and start out AGAIN
in the morning, or 90 down to the cabin,
bring up piece of wire and try to make
the summit that night?
| soon decided on the latter course, and
| started at once for the lake, leaving the
repair tools on the ground by the break.
had hardly gone half mile before
encountered serious obstacle. Before en-
tering the forest below timber line the
trail curved along the side OF very steep
peak, and it was now completely covered
with snow.
There was nothing before me but to cross
somehow this smooth and slippery plain,
inclined at an angle Of sixty-tve degrees,
where miSs-step meant shooting down
into the valley half mile below with
either death or fractured limbs rs the pen
atty
Had / been wise, or known what was be-
for me. would have turned back, but
did not, aud | worked myself across the
field of snow by n novel, but laborious de
vice | sat down as you would on a steer
roof, dug my heels into the snow until
secured firm foothold, and then moved
my body sideways about two feet. Ther
another foothold, and another twO-ioot
advance, until | had traversed quarter
mile.
BY this time it was past noon, and the
trail through the forest was so choked w
with snow and fallen timber that 1t was
O'Clock before | Eeached the cabin. 1t took
nearly halt an hour to find the wire, ana
by that time began to realize that it wa:
|
be dark at o'clock, ard | could not pos
sibly make the trip i'll less than five or SIN
hours. Had | not better stay at the cabll
and start up early in the morning?
After deciding on this course, | began tt
make preparations for the night, by bring
ing in huge pile OF fuel. The cabin was
OF logs, one room only, with one door, ont
window and the earth for floor. In thu
centre Of the room was a square sheet-lrol
stove with the stovepipe stuck through tn
roof for chimney and that was every bil
of furniture in the cabin. There was quit
lot of straw on the floor left by some o
the line men, and that was to he my bed
but of food there was not scrap.
When | realized that, | began to fee
very much discouraged over the prospect
No dinner, no supper, and to start up TIT
next morning to climb the mountain with
no breakfast However, there was abso
luteIy no help for it, so | built roaring
fire in the stove, and at about six o'clOcl
laid down on the straw and went to sleep
am certain that in all my life | never
passed such an uncomfortable night. In thu
first place, | was very hungry, and tina
made me restless. Then the fire, being o.
light wood, kept dying out, and had t.
get up about ten times To Teplensh 1t
About midnight the wind began to blow {
gale and the temperature decreased notice
ably. At o'clock arose in desperation,
and sat down i'll front of the stove to wal
for the dawn.
Ii came at last, rs all things will, and a
about ; A. NJ. ] started on the trip up thu
mountain, cold, hungry and with aching
bones, altogether in very poor oOudltion t.
endure much fatigue. A light snow haC
fallen during the night, and brisk vino
was blowing as | started; but once In tn,
thick woods these annoyances disappeared
and got on very well with frequent rests
until | reached timber line.
There was no other way but to work my
way across the snow bank the same as he
fore and when ! reached the other side
was so completely exhausted that laid or
the rocky ground for fully fifteen minutes
before | recovered sufficiently to proceed,
| However, | said to myself, ! have now
passed the worst, and the remaining three
miles are easy.
Alas! as rounded the brow OF the noun
tain and began To move nOrthward, ! en-
cOnntcred gale of such fury that it nearly
tool, me off my feet.
There was also a marked decrease OF
temperature, and for the first and only
tine in my life, | experienced the sensa
ton known as being 'chilled 10 the bone. y
II was not without cause, as | afterwards
| "A that tho t.fnnnrattIrp ~
below zero. 1t was impossible to face the
gale. In an instant my eyelids were 9 lued
together, and my face raw from contact
with the ice and snow spiculT with which
the air was filled. was obliged to tack. "
| First down the mountain side and then up.
| Presently came to the break in the wire,
and repaired it, but in doing so | was
obliged to remove my thick lambs wool
gloves, and when | replaced them was
painfully conscious that both hands were
frozen. Then started anew for the peak.
| After awhile began to notice that | was
continually wandering from the path, and
staggering like drunkan man. Then
there came idle and foolish fancies in my
head, and | talked to myself, and once or
twice caught myself laughing It was de
lirium, brought on from fatigue, and had
Just sense enough to crouch down in shell
ter of an overhanging rock and rest.
1t was full hour before fully recover
| ed my senses, if not my strength, and then
made up my mind that | would make a
bee line for the cabin used by the wood
choppers. The wood choppers had left,
but there might be scrap of something to
eat, some wood TO make fire, some shelter
from the piercing wind. The cabin was q
half-mile off the trail, and / was not long
in reaching it, only to find part of the
roof fallen in and the cabin half full OF
snow. 1t was only two miles from the
summit, and the hour was p. M, but
was getting weaker and weaker, and now
coulG not walk twenty steps without stop
ping to rest 1t looked. like a hopeless
case, yet, somehow, the prospect did moi
at all dismay me. There came to me, a
fancy there must to all persons in my con-
ditiOn, an utter WEAKNESS and an inclina-
tion In lie down. The elements seemed